Giving Thanks
by KatieBug445
Summary: It's the first Thanksgiving since being freed from the Cage and Adam wants to celebrate.


Adam had bustling about the apartment all morning, setting things up, using what little cooking skills he'd picked up at home, and just all around being in a better mood than he'd been in in close to 900 years.

Michael was starting to get concerned.

He finally stopped the young man in the afternoon while he was working on trying to thaw a small turkey in their sink, needing an answer as to what had his human in such high spirits.

"Tomorrow's Thanksgiving," Adam answered, shooting Michael a smile and going back to what he was doing. "And this year, we both have something to be thankful for."

Michael still didn't understand what the fuss was about and leaned against the oven, watching Adam with questions swimming in his eyes. "I don't understand why this occasion is such a big deal to you. Why is their one specific day on which you give thanks, when there are three hundred and sixty-four others just as good?"

Adam sighed, rolled up his sleeves, and turned to the archangel. "Normally, I wouldn't really care about it since my mom's not around anymore, but this year is different." That was all the young man said on the subject, and didn't speak much to the other for the rest of the day.

The next day wasn't much better in terms of the two of them speaking. In fact, Michael had hardly seen Adam since they'd went to bed the night before. He was feeling increasingly frustrated.

Finally, around 4:00 in the evening, Adam finally hunted him down and dragged him into the kitchenette, forced him down into a chair, and took the one across from him. There were two small candles lighting up the table, the turkey was prepared (much to the help of a hotline which Adam had seen on TV the previous day), and there was a pumpkin pie set out beside it. Two dinner plates were set out in front of each of them, which confused Michael and caused him to frown. "Adam, you know I do not require foo—"

"Do you want to say Grace or should I?" Adam cut in, taking both of Michael's hands in his and bowed his head, his eyes slipping shut, and began speaking before the angel had a chance to answer. "Dear Father and God in Heaven, we thank you for the meal we are about to receive and ask that you bless it and us and let us have a bit of a break for once—"

"Adam, I do not approve of you speaking to my Father this way. It is a little selfis—"

"—and let Michael and myself live the remainder of our lives on earth in peace. After everything we've been through the past few years, it would be appreciated. Amen." Adam opened his eyes and released Michael's hands, getting started on cutting into the turkey. "When I was younger, my mom always made us list off the things we were thankful for while we were eating," he told the other man, filling his plate with meat. "And I don't give a damn that you don't have to eat. Humor me for a minute and pretend." He got started on his own food, concentrating carefully on what he was doing.

"I'm thankful for finally being free from the Cage," He said after a few moments of silence and Michael confusedly trying to cut his turkey.

"As am I,"

A tight smile crossed Adam's face as he turned to his plate, trying to keep himself in check and not shovel everything down at once. Ever since being freed, that had been a big problem for him and Michael constantly sought to remind him that gluttony was a sin. "You know, if you weren't such an ass about it, Dean would have agreed in the end. I wouldn't have even had to get involved." This was something neither of them spoke of often. Adam being the replacement for Dean Winchester as the vessel for Michael. "I had nothing to do with it. I was at peace with my mom in Heaven. I never wanted to be brought back. I never wanted…" Adam swallowed around the lump in his throat and shook his head, not wanting to finish that thought. "I was innocent. I never did anything to deserve the shit that got put on me because of them."

"I know, little one." Michael told him, his voice filled with regret and sadness for the boy in front of him. "And I'm sorry. If I could reverse the events that took place, I would. I feel regret for involving you in the battle."

Adam sighed, a few tears slipping down his cheeks. "In every war, there's always a few casualties."

He said nothing else until they were cutting into the pie, and even so, Adam wasn't sure he was even heard. "I'm thankful for them, though. Sam and Dean. They've gotta be two of the best brothers anybody could ever want… if you're in their circle of family, anyways."

Michael's hand found his and he gave it a small squeeze, not tearing his eyes away from Adam until he looked up at him. "They still love you," he promised him. "They're still your brothers, and they still care. They've just been a little busy with their lives. Do you remember when Sam joined us in Hell?"

Adam nodded once, remembering. That was the only time that Lucifer left the two of them alone for a little while. Adam would never, in a sick way, be more thankful for his older brother joining him in the Pit, if it meant that he got a few moments of peace.

"Lucifer taunted him night and day about forgetting you down there. You know Sam feels like a horrible brother because of it…"

Another, very small, nod. "I know," Adam replied weakly. "It still hurts, though. If you're not Sam or Dean or Castiel, they don't seem to care all too much." He cleared his throat and served Michael a slice of pie before getting one for himself. "I'm beyond thankful for you, though. And them letting the chance to get to meet you."

"Why is that?"

Adam scooted his chair back and got to his feet, going to stand behind the archangel and wrap his arms around his shoulders. "Because I don't think anybody could ask for a better protector or lover than you." Adam pressed a kiss to his cheek and closed his eyes, smiling. "You've done so much for me, Michael. You've given up so much… Why?" Michael had given up almost all of his Grace when they were freed in trying to repair Adam's soul. "I'm no different from the rest of the, as you call them, 'hairless apes'."

Michael shook his head, laying his hands over top of Adam's, and looked up at him with honesty written clear across his face. "You're different to me, little one. You're special."

The angel stood then and wrapped Adam up in his arms, holding the young man flush against him and pressing butterfly kisses across his forehead and in his hair. "You're my exception and I care deeply for you, Adam."

Adam smiled a much more genuine and easy smile and buried his face in Michael's shoulder. "Yeah, I love you, too." His heart swelled with a feeling of belonging, of not being so alone, of having something to live and give thanks for, and, as much hell as it was being stuck in the Pit for close to a thousand years, Adam Milligan couldn't have imagined any other angel he would have rather spent it with.


End file.
